Hurricane Relief Concert

A little over one year after Hurricane Maria, the island is still recovering. I’m sure that you’ve seen the recent death toll number - 2,975. Almost the exact same as 9/11, and nearly three times worse than Hurricane Katrina.

I thought that it would be really nice to bring some musical joy to the region, so I planned a trip out there. About two weeks ago, I found a Lutheran church in San Juan that is leading the charge of restoring the island. They were some of the first people to aid the mountain region of PR with water filtration kits, mosquito nets, solar lights, and many other supplies. What really struck me is that they were helping others before themselves. After reaching out and lots of planning, we organized a hurricane relief concert. All of the proceeds from the concert will go to the local Lutheran Disaster Relief. That being said, all of the money will be kept local in PR.

I had an important realization the other day: it is a bit contradictory to raise money in a hurricane-stricken area! So then I thought - what if we collectively surprise them with a little help, as nice strangers/Samaritans from the North? At the end of the concert, I’ll present them with the surprise contribution. I would read aloud the names of everyone that contributed, and try to livestream it on Facebook.

As for setting up a fund, I initially looked at GoFundMe. However, there were two big issues. 1) GoFundMe takes a 10% commission, and 2) funds aren’t dispersed for up to 90 days (well past the concert in two weeks). That being said, I set it up through Facebook.

www.facebook.com/donate/1102631686563122

Thank you so much for your support! I will be donating alongside all of my friends. As aforementioned, this will be a complete surprise to them, as they have no idea that I am organizing this. I think that this is a really important cause, and a great gesture from Americans on the mainland. If you have any questions/concerns, feel free to reach out!